Aer Lingus has taken delivery of two new Airbus A321XLR aircraft at Dublin Airport.
Registered as EI-XLR St Lelia / Liadhain and EI-XLT St Melanie / Mella, the aircraft are the first two of six XLRs that will be added to the Aer Lingus fleet.
The IAG-owned airline said the plans would serve its existing 18 transatlantic routes and new routes to Nashville and Indianapolis next year.
The single-aisle aircraft are extra-long-range and can fly up to 8,700km, 15% more than the A321LR.
Aer Lingus is the second airline in the world to operate the A321XLR after sister carrier Iberia.
Passengers aboard the new aircraft will have more space, wider seats, and larger overhead bins for 60% more cabin bags. The plans have 184 seats in a two-class layout, with 16 business class seats and 168 in economy class.
The aircraft also has up to 20% lower fuel burn per seat than similar previous generation aircraft and is capable of operating with up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
“The arrival of our two new Airbus A321XLRs mark a significant milestone for Aer Lingus," said Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus.
"The long-range capabilities of the XLR enable us to travel deeper into North America, offering previously unserved markets greater connectivity to Europe through our Dublin hub.
"Both new XLR aircraft will operate on our newly announced routes to Nashville and Indianapolis for summer 2025.
"Looking ahead, we’re on target to expand our XLR fleet from two to six aircraft in 2025, further strengthening our position as a market leader in North American connectivity."
Benoît de Saint Exupéry, chief commercial officer at Airbus, added: "Aer Lingus becomes the latest operator of the world's newest single-aisle aircraft: the A321XLR.
"It will truly revolutionise long-haul travel, allowing airlines to tap into new exciting city pairings as will be demonstrated by Aer Lingus.
"We stand alongside Aer Lingus and will together make its growing fleet of A321XLRs a resounding success operationally and with passengers."
Aer Lingus made an operating profit of €148m during the first nine months of the year, down from €236m for the same period in 2023.
Industrial action by pilots had a negative impact of €55m on the company's bottom line in Q2 and Q3.
Photo: (l-r) Georgia-Jane McCann and James Harmon of Aer Lingus. (Pic: Naoise Culhane)
